facilities for holding and breeding small laboratory 
animals, and facilities for holding large animals in 
quarantine before they enter the research bulding. 
BROAD LABORATORY PROGRAM 
To provide maximum protection for the livestock 
_ population of the United States against dangerous 
foreign diseases, the program of the Laboratory is 
divided into two parts: (1) Research and (2) Service. 
(1) RESEARCH.—The program of research, the 
major responsibility of the Laboratory, is directed 
toward the study of the following aspects of animal 
diseases: 
@ Viruses that cause foot-and-mouth and other foreign 
diseases. Basic studies of the characteristics of 
. various types and strains of viruses, how they are 
spread, and better methods of artificial cultivation 
for more efficient research on specific phases of 
disease prevention and control. 
® Diagnostic procedures and how to improve them. 
More efficient and exact methods of differentiating 
virus diseases. . 
© Susceptibility of different species, breeds, and 
classes of animals—both domestic and wild—and 
the part they play in spreading and perpetuating 
the diseases being studied. 
® Disinfection of contaminated premises and materials 
and how to improve methods. 
@ Preventive measures including immunization. 
(2) SERVICE.—The Laboratory provides the fol- 
lowing service features: 
Plum Island is entirely devoted to the Animal Disease 
Laboratory with the exception of U. S. Coast Guard 
property surrounding Plum Island Lighthouse. Prin- 
A Principal. A 
Small A 
Research 
Building 
LONG ISLAND SOUND 
Administrative, 
: A 
Service, and A 
© Diagnostic facilities to provide rapid and positive 
identification of causative agents in disease out- 
breaks of suspected foreign origin. 
© Improved disinfectants and animal biological prod- 
ucts for use in supplementing and supporting pre- 
vention, eradication, and control programs. 
FIRST RESULTS OF RESEARCH 
PROGRAM 
Outstanding results in the artificial culture of viruses 
were reported during the first 2 years of the research 
program conducted in the original one-unit research 
building before the completion of the larger multiple- 
unit research structure. The methods developed are 
similar to those used in growing other viruses, such as 
polio virus. 
The first laboratory work involved studies of vesicu- 
lar stomatitis, a comparatively minor disease of cattle, 
hogs, and horses in the United States and other parts 
of the Western Hemisphere. This relatively mild virus 
was studied to train the staff and to test the Laboratory’s 
safety measures before research on dangerous foreign 
diseases was started. 
In 1954 Laboratory scientists reported that the virus 
of vesicular stomatitis could be successfully grown on 
the kidney cells of guinea pigs and bovine-tongue tissue. 
This achievement is a fundamental contribution toward 
more efficient research methods and differential diag- 
nosis of foot-and-mouth and other vesicular diseases. 
In 1955 the Laboratory reported the evelopment of 
(Continued on page 8) 
cipal research building, opened in 1956, is at upper 
left. Smaller research building, where work was 
started in 1954, is at lower left. 
is NV 
MlLighthouse Research Residence 4 
oh: AA 
Building Area Asha, 
Aad é 
GARDINER’S BAY 
